Beverage bottling plant for filling bottles with a liquid beverage material having a filling machine

Abstract

A container filling machine filling valve arrangement for use in filling machines for filling containers, such as bottles, cans, or similar containers, with a liquid. The valve arrangement comprises a valve and an always-open gas cutoff element. The valve controls the flow of liquid from a liquid source into a container to be filled. The gas cutoff element is configured to: permit flow of liquid through the gas cutoff element, prevent or minimize gas from flowing through the gas cutoff element, and generate a swirling of liquid flowing through the gas cutoff element. The gas cutoff element is a substantially flat, planar element.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A container filling machine filling valve arrangement comprising:
 a valve being configured and disposed to control the flow of liquid from a liquid source into a container to be filled; 
 an always-open gas cutoff element being configured to: permit flow of liquid through said gas cutoff element, prevent or minimize gas from flowing through said gas cutoff element, and generate a swirling of liquid flowing through said gas cutoff element; and 
 said gas cutoff element comprising a substantially flat, planar element. 
 
     
     
       2. The container filling machine filling valve arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein said gas cutoff element comprises passages and/or recesses, which are separated from one another, and with their side surfaces within said gas cutoff element being inclined relative to a vertical axis of the container filling machine filling valve arrangement to generate swirling of liquid along and about the vertical axis. 
     
     
       3. The container filling machine filling valve arrangement according to  claim 2 , wherein the inclination of said passages and/or recesses is a function of the circumference of a circle around the vertical axis. 
     
     
       4. The container filling machine filling valve arrangement according to  claim 3 , wherein each of said passages and/or recesses comprises an entry orifice and an exit orifice, which exit orifice is disposed radially further from the vertical axis than said entry orifice. 
     
     
       5. The container filling machine filling valve arrangement according to  claim 4 , wherein the surfaces of said passages and/or recesses are inclined, depending on the location of the container filling machine in which said filling valve arrangement is to be installed, such that the Coriolis effect is utilized to positively support swirling. 
     
     
       6. The container filling machine filling valve arrangement according to  claim 5 , wherein said side surfaces of said passages and/or recesses are one of: straight and nonlinear, from the input side to the output side of said gas cutoff element. 
     
     
       7. The container filling machine filling valve arrangement according to  claim 6 , wherein the top, liquid input side of the gas cutoff is at least partly in the shape of a funnel or cone. 
     
     
       8. The container filling machine filling valve arrangement according to  claim 7 , wherein the installation space for said gas cutoff element is configured to hold gas cutoff elements of different thicknesses. 
     
     
       9. The container filling machine filling valve arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein said gas cutoff element comprises always-open openings configured to permit flow of liquid through said gas cutoff element and configured to prevent or minimize gas from flowing through said gas cutoff element. 
     
     
       10. The container filling machine filling valve arrangement according to  claim 9 , wherein said openings in said gas cutoff element are configured to prevent or minimize gas in a container to be filled from bubbling up through said gas cutoff element during filling of the container. 
     
     
       11. The container filling machine filling valve arrangement according to  claim 10 , wherein said openings comprise passages and/or recesses with their side surfaces within said gas cutoff element being inclined at an angle with respect to the direction of flow of liquid entering said gas cutoff element. 
     
     
       12. The container filling machine filling valve arrangement according to  claim 11 , wherein said openings are inclined to generate swirling of liquid along and about a vertical axis of the container filling machine filling valve arrangement. 
     
     
       13. The container filling machine filling valve arrangement according to  claim 12 , wherein each of said openings comprises an entry orifice and an exit orifice, which exit orifice is disposed radially further from the vertical axis than said entry orifice. 
     
     
       14. The container filling machine filling valve arrangement according to  claim 13 , wherein the surfaces of said passages and/or recesses are inclined, depending on the location of the container filling machine in which said filling valve arrangement is to be installed, such that the Coriolis effect is utilized to positively support swirling. 
     
     
       15. The container filling machine filling valve arrangement according to  claim 14 , wherein the liquid input side of the gas cutoff is at least partly in the shape of a funnel or cone. 
     
     
       16. The container filling machine filling valve arrangement according to  claim 15 , wherein said side surfaces of said passages and/or recesses are one of: straight and nonlinear, from the input side to the output side of said gas cutoff element. 
     
     
       17. The container filling machine filling valve arrangement according to  claim 16 , wherein the angle of inclination of said passages and/or recesses is dependent upon the location of said passages and/or recesses about the center of said gas cutoff element. 
     
     
       18. The container filling machine filling valve arrangement according to  claim 17 , wherein said passages and/or recesses are disposed in a substantially circular pattern about said gas cutoff element. 
     
     
       19. The container filling machine filling valve arrangement according to  claim 18 , wherein the installation space for said gas cutoff element is configured to hold gas cutoff elements of different thicknesses. 
     
     
       20. The container filling machine filling valve arrangement according to  claim 9 , wherein said openings comprise passages and/or recesses, the surfaces of which are inclined, depending on the location of the container filling machine in which said filling valve arrangement is to be installed, such that the Coriolis effect is utilized to positively support swirling.